Tomato line fir 128-1018

ABSTRACT

The invention provides seed and plants of the tomato line designated FIR 128-1018. The invention thus relates to the plants, seeds and tissue cultures of tomato line FIR 128-1018, and to methods for producing a tomato plant produced by crossing a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018 with itself or with another tomato plant, such as a plant of another line. The invention further relates to seeds and plants produced by such crossing. The invention further relates to parts of a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018, including the fruit and gametes of such plants.

This application claims the priority of U.S. Provisional Appl. Ser. No.60/972,110, filed Sep. 13, 2007, the entire disclosure of which isincorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of plant breeding and, morespecifically, to the development of tomato line FIR 128-1018.

2. Description of Related Art

The goal of vegetable breeding is to combine various desirable traits ina single variety/hybrid. Such desirable traits may include greateryield, resistance to diseases, insects or other pests, tolerance to heatand drought, better agronomic quality, higher nutritional value,enhanced growth rate and improved fruit properties.

Breeding techniques take advantage of a plant's method of pollination.There are two general methods of pollination: a plant self-pollinates ifpollen from one flower is transferred to the same or another flower ofthe same genotype. A plant cross-pollinates if pollen comes to it from aflower of a different genotype.

Plants that have been self-pollinated and selected for a uniform typeover many generations become homozygous at almost all gene loci andproduce a uniform population of true breeding progeny of homozygousplants. A cross between two such homozygous plants of differentvarieties produces a uniform population of hybrid plants that areheterozygous for many gene loci. The extent of heterozygosity in thehybrid is a function of the genetic distance between the parents.Conversely, a cross of two plants each heterozygous at a number of lociproduces a segregating population of hybrid plants that differgenetically and are not uniform. The resulting non-uniformity makesperformance unpredictable.

The development of uniform varieties requires the development ofhomozygous inbred plants, the crossing of these inbred plants, and theevaluation of the crossed progeny. Pedigree breeding and recurrentselection are examples of breeding methods that have been used todevelop inbred plants from breeding populations. Those breeding methodscombine the genetic backgrounds from two or more plants or various otherbroad-based sources into breeding pools from which new lines aredeveloped by selfing and selection of desired phenotypes. The new linesare evaluated to determine which of those have commercial potential.

One crop species that has been subject to such breeding programs and isof particular value is the tomato. The common tomato, Solanumlycopersicum (formerly Lycopersicon esculentum Mill.) is widelycultivated domestically and internationally. Of the approximately500,000 acres of tomatoes grown annually in the United States, roughly40% are grown for fresh market consumption, with the balance grown forprocessing.

Most cultivated tomatoes are diploid, self-fertile and mostlyself-pollinating, with hermaphroditic flowers. Tomatoes having differentploidy levels are not uncommon and were already known in the 1920's and30's (Linstrom, 1940). Prior to the mid-1970's, most commercialcultivars were pure breeding lines. Since then, better performing hybridcultivars have been replacing the pure breeding lines. Today, mostcommercial varieties are hybrids. Due to its wide dissemination and highvalue, the tomato species has been intensively bred, providing a widevariety of lines with different traits. Tomato fruits from differentcultivars show tremendous variation in weight, shape, and color.Although many varieties have red fruit, tomato fruit may also be othercolors, for example, yellow, orange, pink, purple, green, or white.Common groupings of tomatoes in the marketplace are by shape and size,for example, the cherry, plum, pear, standard (or round), and beefsteaktypes.

While breeding efforts to date have provided a number of useful tomatolines and varieties with beneficial traits, there remains a great needin the art for new lines and varieties with further improved traits.Such plants would benefit farmers and consumers alike by improving cropyield and/or fruit quality.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Many pink tomato varieties show less fruit firmness and shelf life thanother varieties, thus, there is a need for improving these traits inpink varieties. Ripening inhibitor (rin) is a single recessive naturalripening mutation that has been reported as improving fruit firmness andshelf life when introduced into other tomato varieties. Pink tomatofruit color is a recessive trait, generally requiring homozygosity toachieve the pink phenotype. The ripening inhibitor (rin) gene can beintroduced into elite pink lines to increase the fruit firmness andshelf life. In one aspect, the present invention provides a tomato plantof the line designated FIR 128-1018, an inbred line into which theripening inhibitor (rin) gene was introduced. Also provided are tomatoplants having all the physiological and morphological characteristics ofthe tomato line designated FIR 128-1018. Parts of the tomato plant ofthe present invention are also provided, for example, including pollen,an ovule, a fruit, a scion, a rootstock and a cell of the plant.

The invention also concerns seed of tomato line FIR 128-1018. The tomatoseed of the invention may be provided as an essentially homogeneouspopulation of tomato seed of the line designated FIR 128-1018.Therefore, seed of line FIR 128-1018 may be defined as forming at leastabout 97% of the total seed, including at least about 98%, 99% or moreof the seed. The population of tomato seed may be particularly definedas being essentially free from hybrid seed. The seed population may beseparately grown to provide an essentially homogeneous population oftomato plants designated FIR 128-1018.

In another aspect of the invention, a tissue culture of regenerablecells of a plant of line FIR 128-1018 is provided. The tissue culturewill preferably be capable of regenerating plants capable of expressingall of the physiological and morphological characteristics of the line,and of regenerating plants having substantially the same genotype asother plants of the line. Examples of some of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of the line FIR 128-1018 include thosetraits set forth in the tables herein. The regenerable cells in suchtissue cultures may be derived, for example, from embryos, meristems,cotyledons, pollen, leaves, anthers, roots, root tips, pistil, flower,seed and stalks. Still further, the present invention provides tomatoplants regenerated from a tissue culture of the invention, the plantshaving all the physiological and morphological characteristics of lineFIR 128-1018.

In yet another aspect of the invention, processes are provided forproducing tomato seeds, plants and fruit, which processes generallycomprise crossing a first parent tomato plant with a second parenttomato plant, wherein at least one of the first or second parent tomatoplants is a plant of the line designated FIR 128-1018. These processesmay be further exemplified as processes for preparing hybrid tomato seedor plants, wherein a first tomato plant is crossed with a second tomatoplant of a different, distinct line to provide a hybrid that has, as oneof its parents, the tomato plant line FIR 128-1018. In these processes,crossing will result in the production of seed. The seed productionoccurs regardless of whether the seed is collected or not.

In one embodiment of the invention, the first step in “crossing”comprises planting seeds of a first and second parent tomato plant,often in proximity so that pollination will occur for example, mediatedby insect vectors. Alternatively, pollen can be transferred manually.Where the plant is self-pollinated, pollination may occur without theneed for direct human intervention other than plant cultivation.

A second step may comprise cultivating or growing the seeds of first andsecond parent tomato plants into plants that bear flowers. A third stepmay comprise preventing self-pollination of the plants, such as byemasculating the male portions of flowers, (e.g., treating ormanipulating the flowers to produce an emasculated parent tomato plant).Self-incompatibility systems may also be used in some hybrid crops forthe same purpose. Self-incompatible plants still shed viable pollen andcan pollinate plants of other varieties but are incapable of pollinatingthemselves or other plants of the same line.

A fourth step for a hybrid cross may comprise cross-pollination betweenthe first and second parent tomato plants. In certain embodiments,pollen may be transferred manually or by the use of insect vectors. Yetanother step comprises harvesting the seeds from at least one of theparent tomato plants. The harvested seed can be grown to produce atomato plant or hybrid tomato plant.

The present invention also provides the tomato seeds and plants producedby a process that comprises crossing a first parent tomato plant with asecond parent tomato plant, wherein at least one of the first or secondparent tomato plants is a plant of the line designated FIR 128-1018. Inone embodiment of the invention, tomato seed and plants produced by theprocess are first filial generation (F₁) hybrid tomato seed and plantsproduced by crossing a plant in accordance with the invention withanother, distinct plant. The present invention further contemplatesplant parts of such an F₁ hybrid tomato plant, and methods of usethereof. Therefore, certain exemplary embodiments of the inventionprovide an F₁ hybrid tomato plant and seed thereof. For example, FIR128-1018 has been used as the male line of pink rin-heterozygous F₁hybrid, HNS 12850218. This hybrid shows highly improved fruit firmnessand longer shelf life compared to competing pink commercial varieties.

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides a method ofproducing a plant or a seed derived from line FIR 128-1018, the methodcomprising the steps of: (a) preparing a progeny plant derived from lineFIR 128-1018, wherein said preparing comprises crossing a plant of lineFIR 128-1018 with a second plant; and (b) selfing the progeny plant orcrossing it to the second plant or to a third plant to produce a seed ofa progeny plant of a subsequent generation. In some embodiments, thesecond or third plant is a diploid. In other embodiments, the second orthird plant is not a diploid. In certain embodiments, the plant of FIR128-1018 is the female parent.

The method may additionally comprise: (c) growing a progeny plant of asubsequent generation from said seed of a progeny plant of a subsequentgeneration and selfing the progeny plant of a subsequent generation orcrossing it to the second, the third, or a further plant; and repeatingthe steps for an additional 3-10 generations to produce a further plantderived from line FIR 128-1018. The further plant derived from line FIR128-1018 may be an inbred line, and the aforementioned repeated crossingsteps may be defined as comprising sufficient inbreeding to produce theinbred line. In the method, it may be desirable to select particularplants resulting from step (c) for continued crossing according to steps(b) and (c). By selecting plants having one or more desirable traits, aplant derived from line FIR 128-1018 is obtained which possesses some ofthe desirable traits of the line as well as potentially other selectedtraits.

In another embodiment, the invention provides a method of producing atomato plant derived from line FIR 128-1018 comprising the steps of: (a)growing a diploid reversion of a tomato plant of line FIR 128-1018, (b)allowing said diploid tomato plant to self-pollinate, and (c) harvestingseed from said diploid tomato plant. In certain embodiments, the methodmay further comprise the step of: (d) crossing said diploid tomato plantwith itself or another diploid tomato plant to yield additional FIR128-1018-derived diploid tomato seed, (e) growing said diploid FIR128-1018-derived tomato seed of step (d) to yield additional FIR128-1018-derived tomato plants, and (f ) repeating the crossing andgrowing steps of (d) and (e) to generate further FIR 128-1018-deriveddiploid tomato plants. In additional embodiments, the method provided bythe invention further comprises doubling the chromosome number of saiddiploid reversion.

The invention also concerns methods of vegetative propagation of a plantof tomato line FIR 128-1018. In certain embodiments, the methodcomprises the steps of: (a) collecting tissue capable of beingpropagated from a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018; (b) cultivatingsaid tissue to obtain proliferated shoots; and (c) rooting saidproliferated shoots to obtain rooted plantlets. In some of theseembodiments, the method further comprises growing plants from saidrooted plantlets.

In another aspect of the invention, a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018comprising an added heritable trait is provided. The heritable trait maycomprise a genetic locus that is, for example, a dominant or recessiveallele. In one embodiment of the invention, a plant of tomato line FIR128-1018 is defined as comprising a single locus conversion. Forexample, one or more heritable traits may be introgressed at anyparticular locus using a different allele that confers the new trait ortraits of interest. In specific embodiments of the invention, the singlelocus conversion confers one or more traits such as, for example,herbicide tolerance, insect resistance, disease resistance andmodulation of plant metabolism and metabolite profiles. In furtherembodiments, the trait may be conferred by a naturally occurring geneintroduced into the genome of the line by backcrossing, a natural orinduced mutation, or a transgene introduced through genetictransformation techniques into the plant or a progenitor of any previousgeneration thereof. When introduced through transformation, a geneticlocus may comprise one or more genes integrated at a single chromosomallocation.

For example, in certain embodiments, the invention provides methods ofintroducing a desired trait into tomato line FIR 128-1018 comprising:(a) crossing a plant of line FIR 128-1018 with a second tomato plantthat comprises a desired trait to produce F1 progeny, (b) selecting anF1 progeny that comprises the desired trait, (c) crossing the selectedF1 progeny with a plant of line FIR 128-1018 to produce backcrossprogeny, (d) selecting backcross progeny comprising the desired traitand the physiological and morphological characteristic of tomato lineFIR 128-1018, and (e) repeating steps (c) and (d) three or more times insuccession to produce selected fourth or higher backcross progeny thatcomprise the desired trait and all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of diploid tomato line FIR 128-1018 whengrown in the same environmental conditions. The invention also providestomato plants produced by these methods.

In still yet another aspect of the invention, the genetic complement ofthe tomato plant line designated FIR 128-1018 is provided. The phrase“genetic complement” is used to refer to the aggregate of nucleotidesequences, the expression of which defines the phenotype of, in thepresent case, a tomato plant of, or a cell or tissue of that plant. Agenetic complement thus represents the genetic makeup of a cell, tissueor plant, and a hybrid genetic complement represents the genetic make upof a hybrid cell, tissue or plant. The invention thus provides tomatoplant cells that have a genetic complement in accordance with the tomatoplant cells disclosed herein, and plants, seeds and plants containingsuch cells.

Plant genetic complements may be assessed by genetic marker profiles,and by the expression of phenotypic traits that are characteristic ofthe expression of the genetic complement, e.g., gene expressionprofiles, gene product expression profiles and isozyme typing profiles.It is understood that line FIR 128-1018 or a first generation progenythereof could be identified by any of the many well known techniquessuch as, for example, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs)(Williams et al., 1990), Randomly Amplified Polymorphic DNAs (RAPDs),DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), Sequence Characterized AmplifiedRegions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed Polymerase Chain Reaction (AP-PCR),Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs) (EP 534 858,specifically incorporated herein by reference in its entirety), andSingle Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al., 1998).

In still yet another aspect, the present invention provides hybridgenetic complements, as represented by tomato plant cells, tissues,plants, and seeds, formed by the combination of a haploid geneticcomplement of a tomato plant of the invention with a haploid geneticcomplement of a second tomato plant, preferably, another, distincttomato plant. In another aspect, the present invention provides a tomatoplant regenerated from a tissue culture that comprises a hybrid geneticcomplement of this invention.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a plant of an inbredtomato line that exhibits a combination of traits comprising firm,light-yellow colored fruit at maturity with a macro calyx andtransparent epidermis. Additionally, while no pink coloring develops atthe fruit ripening stage, when crossed with pink lines, the progeny ofFIR 128-1018 have pink fruit. In certain embodiments, the combination oftraits may be defined as controlled by genetic means for the expressionof the combination of traits found in tomato line FIR 128-1018.

In still yet another aspect, the invention provides a method ofdetermining the genotype of a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018comprising detecting in the genome of the plant at least a firstpolymorphism. The method may, in certain embodiments, comprise detectinga plurality of polymorphisms in the genome of the plant. The method mayfurther comprise storing the results of the step of detecting theplurality of polymorphisms on a computer readable medium. The inventionfurther provides a computer readable medium produced by such a method.

In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a method ofproducing tomatoes comprising: (a) obtaining a plant of tomato line FIR128-1018, wherein the plant has been cultivated to maturity, and (b)collecting tomatoes from the plant.

Any embodiment discussed herein with respect to one aspect of theinvention applies to other aspects of the invention as well, unlessspecifically noted.

The term “about” is used to indicate that a value includes the standarddeviation of error for the device or method being employed to determinethe value. The use of the term “or” in the claims is used to mean“and/or” unless explicitly indicated to refer to alternatives only orthe alternatives are mutually exclusive, although the disclosuresupports a definition that refers to only alternatives and to “and/or.”When used in conjunction with the word “comprising” or other openlanguage in the claims, the words “a” and “an” denote “one or more,”unless specifically noted. The terms “comprise,” “have” and “include”are open-ended linking verbs. Any forms or tenses of one or more ofthese verbs, such as “comprises,” “comprising,” “has,” “having,”“includes” and “including,” are also open-ended. For example, any methodthat “comprises,” “has” or “includes” one or more steps is not limitedto possessing only those one or more steps and also covers otherunlisted steps. Similarly, any plant that “comprises,” “has” or“includes” one or more traits is not limited to possessing only thoseone or more traits and covers other unlisted traits.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description. It should beunderstood, however, that the detailed description and any specificexamples provided, while indicating specific embodiments of theinvention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changesand modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention willbecome apparent to those skilled in the art from this detaileddescription.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The invention provides methods and compositions relating to plants,plant parts, seeds and derivatives of tomato line FIR 128-1018. Thisline shows genetic uniformity and stability and horticultural uniformityand stability within the limits of environmental influence for thetraits described hereinafter. Tomato line FIR 128-1018 providessufficient seed yield. By crossing with a distinct second plant, uniformF1 hybrid progeny can be obtained. Line FIR 128-1018 is an inbred linederived from the original cross between red rin line, HNRI0369 and apink line, HNPI0205. Line FIR 128-1018 exhibits a number of improvedtraits including firm, light-yellow colored fruit at maturity with amacro calyx and transparent epidermis. Additionally, while no pinkcoloring develops at the fruit ripening stage in FIR 128-1018 fruit,when crossed with pink lines, the progeny of FIR 128-1018 have pinkfruit.

Tomato cultivars may be grouped by maturity, i.e. the time required fromplanting the seed to the stage where fruit harvest can occur. Standardmaturity classifications include ‘early’, ‘midseason’ or‘late-maturing’. Another classification for tomatoes is thedevelopmental timing of fruit set. ‘Determinant’ plants grow foliage,then transition into a reproductive phase of flower setting, pollinationand fruit development. Consequently, determinant cultivars have a largeproportion of the fruit ripen within a short time frame. Growers thatharvest only once in a season favor determinant type cultivars. Incontrast, ‘indeterminate’ types grow foliage, then enter a long phasewhere flower and fruit development proceed along with new foliar growth.Growers that harvest the same plants multiple times favor indeterminatetype cultivars. In response to more recent consumer demands for dietarydiversity, tomato breeders have developed a wider range of fruit colors.In addition to expanding the range of red colored fruits, there arecultivars that produce fruits that are creamy white, various shades ofgreen, yellow, golden, orange pink and purple. Additionally, there aremulti-colored varieties exemplified by mainly red fruited lines withgreen shoulders, and both striped- and variegated-colored fruit.Standard methods for determining tomato fruit color are described, forinstance, in Gull et al. (1989) and Kader et al. (1978), both of whichare incorporated by reference herein.

In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there isprovided a plant having the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of tomato line FIR 128-1018. A description of thephysiological and morphological characteristics of tomato line FIR128-1018 is presented in Table 1.

TABLE 1 Physiological and Morphological Characteristics of Line FIR128-1018 CHARACTERISTIC FIR 128-1018 1. Seedling Anthocyanin inHypocotyls of Present 2-15 cm Seeding Habit of 3-4 Weeks Old SeedingNormal 2. Mature Plant Height 105 (4th) cm Growth Indeterminate FormNormal Size of Canopy (compared to Large others of similar type) HabitSprawling (decumbent) 3. Stem Branching Intermediate (Westover)Branching at Cotyledon of First Present Leafy Node No. of Nodes BetweenFirst 7-10 Inflorescence: No. of Nodes between Early 3 InflorescencesNo. of Nodes Between Later 3 Developing Inflorescences Pubescence onYounger Stems Moderately Hairy 4. Leaf Type Tomato Margins of MajorLeaflets Shallowly Toothed or Scalloped Marginal Rolling or WiltinessSlight Onset of Leaflet Rolling Late Season Surface of Major LeafletsRugose (Bumpy or Veiny) Pubescence Normal 5. Inflorescence Type SimpleNumber of Flowers in Average —6-8 Inflorescence Leafy or RunningInflorescences Occasional 6. Flower Calyx Macrocalyx, Lobes Large,Leaf-like Calyx Lobes Distinctly Longer than Corolla Corolla ColorYellow Style Pubescence Dense Anthers All Fused into Tube FasciationOccasionally Present 7. Fruit Abscission Layer Present (Pedicellate)Point of Detachment of Fruit at At Pedicel Joint Harvest Length ofDedicel (from joint to 14-16 mm calyx attachment) Length of Mature Fruit(stem 50-55 mm axis) Diameter of Fruit at Widest 65-67 mm Point Weightof Mature Fruit 170-190 g No. of Locules Five or More Fruit SurfaceSlightly Rough Fruit Base Color (mature-green Light Green (Lanai, VF145-F5) stage) Fruit Pattern (mature-green stage Green-shoulderedShoulder Color if Different from Grey Green Base Fruit Color, Full-RipeLight Yellow Flesh Color, Full-Ripe Light Yellow Flesh Color UniformLocular Gel Color of Table-Ripe Green Ripening Uniform Ripening InsideOut Stem Scar Size Small (Roma) Core Present Epidermis Color ColorlessEpidermis Normal Epidermis Texture Tender Thickness of Pericarp 0.70 cmAnthocyanin in Hypocotyl of 2- Present 15 mc Seedling 8. Resistance toFruit Disorder Blossom End Rot Susceptible 9. Disease and Pest ReactionTobacco Mosaic, Race 2 (Viral) Susceptible Tobacco Mosaic, Race 2²(Viral) Susceptible Bacterial Wilt (Pseudomonas Susceptiblesolanacearum) Fusarium Wilt (Race 1 Resistant (F. oxysporum f.lycopersici) (Fungal) Fusarium Wilt, Race 2 (Fungal) Resistant 10.Chemistry and Composition of Full-Ripe Fruits Soluble Solids as Brix 5-611. Phenology Seeding to 50% Flow (1 Open 5-7 Days on 50% of Plants)Seed to Once Over Harvest 105-110 Days 12. Adaptation Culture GreenhousePrinciple Use Breeding Materials Machine Harvest Not Adapted RegionsAdaptation Has Been California: Sacramento and Demonstrated Upper SanJoaquin Valley *These are typical values. Values may vary due toenvironment. Other values that are substantially equivalent are alsowithin the scope of the invention.

As shown in Table 1 above, Line FIR 128-1018 has an indeterminate growthpattern, a large canopy, and sprawling habit. The leaves are generallyshallowly toothed or scalloped, and rugose. The inflorescence istypically simple with 6-8 yellow flowers. The anthers are usually fused,and the macrocalyx generally has large, leaf-like lobes. The maturefruit is usually about 50-55 mm long, with a diameter of about 65-67 mm,and a weight of about 170-190 grams. The fruit is typically a uniformlight yellow color, with a colorless, normal, tender epidermis. Thefruit soluble solids (as Brix) is usually 5-6.

Line FIR 128-1018 has been self-pollinated and planted for a number ofgenerations to produce the homozygosity and phenotypic stability to makethis line useful in commercial seed production. No variant traits havebeen observed or are expected for this line.

Tomato line FIR 128-1018, being substantially homozygous, can bereproduced by planting seeds of the line, growing the resulting tomatoplant under self-pollinating or sib-pollinating conditions andharvesting the resulting seeds using techniques familiar to one of skillin the art.

A. Breeding Tomato Line FIR 128-1018

One aspect of the current invention concerns methods for crossing thetomato line FIR 128-1018 with itself or a second plant and the seeds andplants produced by such methods. These methods can be used forpropagation of line FIR 128-1018, or can be used to produce hybridtomato seeds and the plants grown there from. Hybrid seeds are producedby crossing line FIR 128-1018 with a second tomato parent line.

The development of new varieties using one or more starting varieties iswell known in the art. In accordance with the invention, novel varietiesmay be created by crossing line FIR 128-1018 followed by multiplegenerations of breeding according to such well known methods. Newvarieties may be created by crossing with any second plant. In selectingsuch a second plant to cross for the purpose of developing novel lines,it may be desired to choose those plants that either exhibit one or moreselected desirable characteristics or that exhibit the desiredcharacteristic(s) when in hybrid combination. Once initial crosses havebeen made, inbreeding and selection take place to produce new varieties.For development of a uniform line, often five or more generations ofselfing and selection are involved.

Uniform lines of new varieties may also be developed by way ofdouble-haploids. This technique allows the creation of true breedinglines without the need for multiple generations of selfing andselection. In this manner, true breeding lines can be produced in aslittle as one generation. Haploid embryos may be produced frommicrospores, pollen, anther cultures, or ovary cultures. The haploidembryos may then be doubled autonomously, or by chemical treatments(e.g. colchicine treatment). Alternatively, haploid embryos may be growninto haploid plants and treated to induce chromosome doubling. In eithercase, fertile homozygous plants are obtained. In accordance with theinvention, any of such techniques may be used in connection with lineFIR 128-1018 and progeny thereof to achieve a homozygous line.

Backcrossing can also be used to improve an inbred plant. Backcrossingtransfers one or more heritable traits from one inbred or non-inbredsource to an inbred that lacks those traits. The exact backcrossingprotocol will depend on the characteristic(s) or trait(s) being alteredto determine an appropriate testing protocol. When the term tomato lineFIR 128-1018 is used in the context of the present invention, this alsoincludes plants modified to include at least a first desired heritabletrait.

This can be accomplished, for example, by first crossing a superiorinbred (recurrent parent) to a donor inbred (non-recurrent parent),which carries the appropriate genetic information (e.g., an allele) atthe locus or loci relevant to the trait in question. The progeny of thiscross are then mated back to the recurrent parent followed by selectionin the resultant progeny (first backcross generation, or BC1) for thedesired trait to be transferred from the non-recurrent parent. Afterfive or more backcross generations with selection for the desired trait,the progeny are heterozygous at loci controlling the characteristicbeing transferred, but are like the superior parent for most or almostall other loci. The last backcross generation would be selfed to givepure breeding progeny for the trait being transferred.

The parental tomato plant which contributes the desired characteristicor characteristics is termed the non-recurrent parent because it can beused one time in the backcross protocol and therefore need not recur.The parental tomato plant to which the locus or loci from thenon-recurrent parent are transferred is known as the recurrent parent asit is used for several rounds in the backcrossing protocol.

Many single locus traits have been identified that are not regularlyselected for in the development of a new inbred but that can be improvedby backcrossing techniques. Single locus traits may or may not betransgenic; examples of these traits include, but are not limited to,male sterility, herbicide resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal,or viral disease, insect resistance, restoration of male fertility,modified fatty acid or carbohydrate metabolism, and enhanced nutritionalquality. These comprise genes generally inherited through the nucleus.

In one embodiment, progeny diploid tomato plants of a backcross in whichFIR 128-1018 is the recurrent parent comprise (i) the desired trait fromthe non-recurrent parent and (ii) all of the physiological andmorphological characteristics of diploid tomato line FIR 128-1018 asdetermined at the 5% significance level when grown in the sameenvironmental conditions.

Direct selection or screening may be applied where the single locus(e.g. allele) acts in a dominant fashion. For example, when selectingfor a dominant allele providing resistance to a bacterial disease, theprogeny of the initial cross can be inoculated with bacteria prior tothe backcrossing. The inoculation then eliminates those plants which donot have the resistance, and only those plants which have the resistanceallele are used in the subsequent backcross. This process is thenrepeated for all additional backcross generations.

Although backcrossing methods are simplified when the characteristicbeing transferred is a dominant allele, recessive, co-dominant andquantitative alleles may also be transferred. In this instance, it maybe necessary to introduce a test of the progeny to determine if thedesired locus has been successfully transferred. In the case where thenon-recurrent line was not homozygous, the F1 progeny would not beequivalent. F1 plants having the desired genotype at the locus ofinterest could be phenotypically selected if the corresponding trait wasphenotypically detectable in a heterozygous or hemizygous state. In thecase where a recessive allele is to be transferred and the correspondingtrait is not phenotypically detectable in the heterozygous of hemizygousstate, the resultant progeny can be selfed, or crossed back to the donorto create a segregating population for selection purposes.Non-phenotypic tests may also be employed. Selected progeny from thesegregating population can then be crossed to the recurrent parent tomake the first backcross generation (BC1).

Molecular markers may also be used to aid in the identification of theplants containing both a desired trait and having recovered a highpercentage of the recurrent parent's genetic complement. Selection oftomato plants for breeding is not necessarily dependent on the phenotypeof a plant and instead can be based on genetic investigations. Forexample, one can utilize a suitable genetic marker which is closelygenetically linked to a trait of interest. One of these markers can beused to identify the presence or absence of a trait in the offspring ofa particular cross, and can be used in selection of progeny forcontinued breeding. This technique is commonly referred to as markerassisted selection. Any other type of genetic marker or other assay thatis able to identify the relative presence or absence of a trait ofinterest in a plant can also be useful for breeding purposes. Proceduresfor marker assisted selection applicable to the breeding of tomato arewell known in the art. Such methods will be of particular utility in thecase of recessive traits and variable phenotypes, or where conventionalassays may be more expensive, time consuming or otherwisedisadvantageous. Types of genetic markers which could be used inaccordance with the invention include, but are not necessarily limitedto, Simple Sequence Length Polymorphisms (SSLPs) (Williams et al.,1990), Simple Sequence Repeats (SSR), Randomly Amplified PolymorphicDNAs (RAPDs), DNA Amplification Fingerprinting (DAF), SequenceCharacterized Amplified Regions (SCARs), Arbitrary Primed PolymeraseChain Reaction (AP-PCR), Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphisms (AFLPs)(EP 534 858, specifically incorporated herein by reference in itsentirety), and Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) (Wang et al.,1998).

Tomato varieties can also be developed from more than two parents. Thetechnique, known as modified backcrossing, uses different recurrentparents during the backcrossing. Modified backcrossing may be used toreplace the original recurrent parent with a variety having certain moredesirable characteristics or multiple parents may be used to obtaindifferent desirable characteristics from each.

Manipulation of ploidy-level is another technique which can be used toimprove an inbred plant. The ploidy level of an organism refers to thenumber of complete sets of chromosomes typically found in each cell.Natural variation in ploidy level is common among many plants. Sincecrosses between species that differ in ploidy level may fail or mayproduce sterile offspring, it may be advantageous to change the ploidylevel of one parent so that the ploidy levels are matched before makingthe cross. For example, in one embodiment of the invention, uniformlines of new tomato varieties may be developed by way of diploidreversions. This technique involves, in the case of a tetraploid, forexample, reducing the plant's genome to diploid. Techniques for thereduction of ploidy levels include androgenesis using anther cultures,as reported, for example, in Kopecky et al., 2005. Suitable cells mayinclude microspores, pollen, anther, and ovary cultures. A plantproduced by such methods for use in the technique is called a diploidreversion. A diploid reversion may then be crossed and/or backcrossedwith other diploid tomato plant varieties. After ploidy manipulationand/or breeding is complete, the number of chromosome sets of a suitablediploid progeny plant may be increased back to the original ploidy level(Linstrom, 1940).

Methods for increasing the ploidy level of a diploid plant are also wellknown in the art. For example, by treating cells of a diploid plant withcolchicine, tetraploid plants may be retrieved. Triploids may be formed,for example, by fertilizing a doubled-haploid ovule with haploid pollen.Other techniques for manipulating ploidy levels include somatichybridization or protoplast fusion. Any of such techniques may be usedin accordance with the invention.

Tomatoes are grown for use as rootstocks or scions. Typically, differenttypes of tomatoes are grafted to enhance disease resistance, which isusually conferred by the rootstock, while retaining the horticulturalqualities usually conferred by the scion. It is not uncommon forgrafting to occur between Solanum lycopersicum lines and related Solanumspecies. Methods of grafting and vegetative propagation are well-knownin the art.

The lines and varieties of the present invention are particularly wellsuited for the development of new lines or varieties based on the elitenature of the genetic background of the line. In selecting a secondplant to cross with FIR 128-1018 for the purpose of developing noveltomato lines, it will typically be preferred to choose those plants thateither exhibit one or more selected desirable characteristics or thatexhibit the desired characteristic(s) when in hybrid combination.Examples of desirable characteristics may include, but are not limitedto herbicide tolerance, pathogen resistance (e.g., insect resistance,nematode resistance, resistance to bacterial, fungal, and viraldisease), male fertility, improved harvest characteristics, enhancednutritional quality, increased antioxidant content, improved processingcharacteristics, high yield, improved characteristics related to thefruit flavor, texture, size, shape, durability, shelf life, and yield,improved vine habit, increased soluble solids content, uniform ripening,delayed or early ripening, reduced blossom end scar size, seedlingvigor, adaptability for soil conditions, and adaptability for climateconditions. Qualities that may be desirable in a processing tomato arenot necessarily those that would be desirable in a fresh market tomato;thus, the selection process for desirable traits for each specific enduse may be different. For example, certain features, such as solidscontent, and firm fruit to facilitate mechanical harvesting are moredesirable in the development of processing tomatoes; whereas, externalfeatures such as intensity and uniformity of fruit color, unblemishedfruit, and uniform fruit size are typically more important to thedevelopment of a fresh market product that will have greater retailer orconsumer appeal. Of course, certain traits, such as disease and pestresistance, high yield, and concentrated fruit set are of interest inany type of tomato line or variety.

B. Performance Characteristics

As described above, line FIR 128-1018 exhibits desirable agronomictraits. Performance characteristics of the line were the subject of anobjective analysis of the performance traits of the line relative toother lines. The results of the analysis are presented below.

TABLE 2 Performance Characteristics For Line FIR 128-1018 Super MomotaroFIR 128-1018 Fruit color after ripening Dark Pink Light Yellow CalyxSize Normal, medium Large, macro Fruit Firmness Medium Very Firm ShelfLife Short Very Long Epidermis Color Transparent Transparent

As shown above, line FIR 128-1018 exhibits superior traits such as firmfruit with a long shelf life when compared to other lines such as thedark pink line Super Momotaro. One important aspect of the inventionthus provides seed of the variety for commercial use

C. Plants Derived From Tomato Line FIR 128-1018 by Genetic Engineering

Many useful traits that can be introduced by backcrossing, as well asdirectly into a plant, are those that are introduced by genetictransformation techniques. Genetic transformation may therefore be usedto insert a selected transgene into the tomato line of the invention ormay, alternatively, be used for the preparation of lines containingtransgenes that can be subsequently transferred to the line of interestby crossing. Methods for the transformation of plants, including tomato,are well known to those of skill in the art. Techniques which may beemployed for the genetic transformation of tomato include, but are notlimited to, electroporation, microprojectile bombardment,Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, pollen-mediated transformation,and direct DNA uptake by protoplasts.

To effect transformation by electroporation, one may employ eitherfriable tissues, such as a suspension culture of cells or embryogeniccallus or alternatively one may transform immature embryos or otherorganized tissue directly. In this technique, one would partiallydegrade the cell walls of the chosen cells by exposing them topectin-degrading enzymes (pectolyases) or mechanically wound tissues ina controlled manner.

To effect pollen-mediated transformation, one may apply pollenpretreated with DNA to the female reproduction parts of tomato plantsfor pollination. A pollen-mediated method for the transformation oftomato is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,399.

A particularly efficient method for delivering transforming DNA segmentsto plant cells is microprojectile bombardment. In this method, particlesare coated with nucleic acids and delivered into cells by a propellingforce. Exemplary particles include those comprised of tungsten,platinum, and preferably, gold. For the bombardment, cells in suspensionare concentrated on filters or solid culture medium. Alternatively,immature embryos or other target cells may be arranged on solid culturemedium. The cells to be bombarded are positioned at an appropriatedistance below the microprojectile stopping plate.

An illustrative embodiment of a method for delivering DNA into plantcells by acceleration is the Biolistics Particle Delivery System, whichcan be used to propel particles coated with DNA or cells through ascreen, such as a stainless steel or Nytex screen, onto a surfacecovered with target tomato cells. The screen disperses the particles sothat they are not delivered to the recipient cells in large aggregates.It is believed that a screen intervening between the projectileapparatus and the cells to be bombarded reduces the size of projectilesaggregate and may contribute to a higher frequency of transformation byreducing the damage inflicted on the recipient cells by projectiles thatare too large.

Microprojectile bombardment techniques are widely applicable, and may beused to transform virtually any plant species.

Agrobacterium-mediated transfer is another widely applicable system forintroducing gene loci into plant cells. An advantage of the technique isthat DNA can be introduced into whole plant tissues, thereby bypassingthe need for regeneration of an intact plant from a protoplast. ModernAgrobacterium transformation vectors are capable of replication in E.coli as well as Agrobacterium, allowing for convenient manipulations(Klee et al., 1985). Moreover, recent technological advances in vectorsfor Agrobacterium-mediated gene transfer have improved the arrangementof genes and restriction sites in the vectors to facilitate theconstruction of vectors capable of expressing various polypeptide codinggenes. The vectors described have convenient multi-linker regionsflanked by a promoter and a polyadenylation site for direct expressionof inserted polypeptide coding genes. Additionally, Agrobacteriumcontaining both armed and disarmed Ti genes can be used fortransformation.

In those plant species where Agrobacterium-mediated transformation isefficient, it is the method of choice because of the facile and definednature of the gene locus transfer. The use of Agrobacterium-mediatedplant integrating vectors to introduce DNA into plant cells is wellknown in the art (Fraley et al., 1985; U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055).

Transformation of plant protoplasts also can be achieved using methodsbased on calcium phosphate precipitation, polyethylene glycol treatment,electroporation, and combinations of these treatments (see, e.g.,Potrykus et al., 1985; Omirulleh et al., 1993; Fromm et al., 1986;Uchimiya et al., 1986; Marcotte et al., 1988). Transformation of plantsand expression of foreign genetic elements is exemplified in Choi et al.(1994), and Ellul et al. (2003).

A number of promoters have utility for plant gene expression for anygene of interest including but not limited to selectable markers,scoreable markers, genes for pest tolerance, disease resistance,nutritional enhancements and any other gene of agronomic interest.Examples of constitutive promoters useful for tomato plant geneexpression include, but are not limited to, the cauliflower mosaic virus(CaMV) P-35S promoter, which confers constitutive, high-level expressionin most plant tissues (see, e.g., Odel et al., 1985), including monocots(see, e.g., Dekeyser et al., 1990; Terada and Shimamoto, 1990); atandemly, partially duplicated version of the CaMV 35S promoter, theenhanced 35S promoter (P-e35S) the nopaline synthase promoter (An etal., 1988), the octopine synthase promoter (Fromm et al., 1989); and thefigwort mosaic virus (P-FMV) promoter as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,378,619 and an enhanced version of the FMV promoter (P-eFMV) where thepromoter sequence of P-FMV is duplicated in tandem, the cauliflowermosaic virus 19S promoter, a sugarcane bacilliform virus promoter, acommelina yellow mottle virus promoter, and other plant DNA viruspromoters known to express in plant cells.

A variety of plant gene promoters that are regulated in response toenvironmental, hormonal, chemical, and/or developmental signals can beused for expression of an operably linked gene in plant cells, includingpromoters regulated by (1) heat (Callis et al., 1988), (2) light (e.g.,pea rbcS-3A promoter, Kuhlemeier et al., 1989; maize rbcS promoter,Schaffner and Sheen, 1991; or chlorophyll a/b-binding protein promoter,Simpson et al., 1985), (3) hormones, such as abscisic acid (Marcotte etal., 1989), (4) wounding (e.g., wunl, Siebertz et al., 1989); or (5)chemicals such as methyl jasmonate, salicylic acid, or Safener. It mayalso be advantageous to employ organ-specific promoters (e.g., Roshal etal., 1987; Schemthaner et al., 1988; Bustos et al., 1989).

Exemplary nucleic acids which may be introduced to the tomato lines ofthis invention include, for example, DNA sequences or genes from anotherspecies, or even genes or sequences which originate with or are presentin the same species, but are incorporated into recipient cells bygenetic engineering methods rather than classical reproduction orbreeding techniques. However, the term “exogenous” is also intended torefer to genes that are not normally present in the cell beingtransformed, or perhaps simply not present in the form, structure, etc.,as found in the transforming DNA segment or gene, or genes which arenormally present and that one desires to express in a manner thatdiffers from the natural expression pattern, e.g., to over-express.Thus, the term “exogenous” gene or DNA is intended to refer to any geneor DNA segment that is introduced into a recipient cell, regardless ofwhether a similar gene may already be present in such a cell. The typeof DNA included in the exogenous DNA can include DNA which is alreadypresent in the plant cell, DNA from another plant, DNA from a differentorganism, or a DNA generated externally, such as a DNA sequencecontaining an antisense message of a gene, or a DNA sequence encoding asynthetic or modified version of a gene.

Many hundreds if not thousands of different genes are known and couldpotentially be introduced into a tomato plant according to theinvention. Non-limiting examples of particular genes and correspondingphenotypes one may choose to introduce into a tomato plant include oneor more genes for insect tolerance, such as a Bacillus thuringiensis(B.t.) gene, pest tolerance such as genes for fungal disease control,herbicide tolerance such as genes conferring glyphosate tolerance, andgenes for quality improvements such as yield, nutritional enhancements,environmental or stress tolerances, or any desirable changes in plantphysiology, growth, development, morphology or plant product(s). Forexample, structural genes would include any gene that confers insecttolerance including but not limited to a Bacillus insect control proteingene as described in WO 99/31248, herein incorporated by reference inits entirety, U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052, herein incorporated by referencein its entirety, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,500,365 and 5,880275, hereinincorporated by reference it their entirety. In another embodiment, thestructural gene can confer tolerance to the herbicide glyphosate asconferred by genes including, but not limited to Agrobacterium strainCP4 glyphosate resistant EPSPS gene (aroA:CP4) as described in U.S. Pat.No. 5,633,435, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety, orglyphosate oxidoreductase gene (GOX) as described in U.S. Pat. No.5,463,175, herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.

Alternatively, the DNA coding sequences can affect these phenotypes byencoding a non-translatable RNA molecule that causes the targetedinhibition of expression of an endogenous gene, for example viaantisense- or cosuppression-mediated mechanisms (see, for example, Birdet al., 1991). The RNA could also be a catalytic RNA molecule (e.g., aribozyme) engineered to cleave a desired endogenous mRNA product (seefor example, Gibson and Shillito, 1997). Thus, any gene which produces aprotein or mRNA which expresses a phenotype or morphology change ofinterest is useful for the practice of the present invention.

F. Definitions

In the description and tables herein, a number of terms are used. Inorder to provide a clear and consistent understanding of thespecification and claims, the following definitions are provided:

Alleles: Alternate forms of a single gene.

Backcrossing: A process in which a breeder repeatedly crosses hybridprogeny, for example a first generation hybrid (F₁), back to one of theparents of the hybrid progeny. Backcrossing can be used to transfergenetic information (e.g., an allele) from one genetic background intoanother.

Crossing: The mating of two parent plants.

Cross-pollination: Fertilization by the union of two gametes fromdifferent plants.

Diploid: A cell or organism having two sets of chromosomes.

Emasculate: The removal of plant male sex organs or the inactivation ofthe organs with a cytoplasmic or nuclear genetic factor conferring malesterility or a chemical agent.

Enzymes: Molecules which can act as catalysts in biological reactions.

F₁ Hybrid: The first generation progeny of the cross of two nonisogenicplants.

Genotype: The genetic constitution of a cell or organism.

Haploid: A cell or organism having one set of the two sets ofchromosomes in a diploid.

Linkage: A phenomenon wherein alleles on the same chromosome tend tosegregate together more often than expected by chance if theirtransmission was independent.

Locus: A designated location on a chromosome.

Marker: A readily detectable phenotype, preferably inherited incodominant fashion (both alleles at a locus in a diploid heterozygoteare readily detectable), with no environmental variance component, i.e.,a heritability of 1.

Polyploid: A cell or organism of containing three or more complete setsof chromosomes.

Phenotype: The detectable characteristics of a cell or organism, whichcharacteristics are the manifestation of gene expression.

Quantitative Trait Loci (QTL): Quantitative trait loci (QTL) refer togenetic loci that control to some degree numerically representabletraits whose phenotypes are usually continuously distributed.

Regeneration: The development of a plant from tissue culture.

Resistance: As used herein, the terms “resistance” and “tolerance” areused interchangeably to describe plants that show no symptoms to aspecified biotic pest, pathogen, abiotic influence or environmentalcondition. These terms are also used to describe plants showing somesymptoms but that are still able to produce marketable product with anacceptable yield. Some plants that are referred to as resistant ortolerant are only so in the sense that they may still produce a crop,even though the plants are stunted and the yield is reduced.

Self-pollination: The transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigmaof the same plant.

Single Locus Converted (Conversion) Plant: A plant, often developedthrough the backcrossing technique, having essentially all of thedesired morphological and physiological characteristics of givenvariety, expect that at one locus it contains the genetic material(e.g., an allele) from a different variety. Genetic transformation mayalso be used to develop single locus converted plants.

Substantially Equivalent: A characteristic that, when compared, does notshow a statistically significant difference (e.g., p=0.05) from themean.

Tetraploid: A cell or organism having four sets of chromosomes.

Tissue Culture: A composition comprising isolated cells of the same or adifferent type or a collection of such cells organized into parts of aplant.

Transgene: A genetic locus comprising a sequence which has beenintroduced into the genome of a tomato plant by transformation.

Triploid: A cell or organism having three sets of chromosomes.

G. Deposit Information

A deposit of tomato line FIR 128-1018, disclosed above and recited inthe claims, has been made with the American Type Culture Collection(ATCC), 10801 University Blvd., Manassas, Va. 20110-2209. The date ofdeposit was Jul. 30, 2007. The accession number for those depositedseeds of tomato line FIR 128-1018 is ATCC Accession No. PTA-8595. Uponissuance of a patent, all restrictions upon the deposit will be removed,and the deposit is intended to meet all of the requirements of 37 C.F.R.§1.801-1.809. The deposit will be maintained in the depository for aperiod of 30 years, or 5 years after the last request, or for theeffective life of the patent, whichever is longer, and will be replacedif necessary during that period.

Although the foregoing invention has been described in some detail byway of illustration and example for purposes of clarity andunderstanding, it will be obvious that certain changes and modificationsmay be practiced within the scope of the invention, as limited only bythe scope of the appended claims.

All references cited herein are hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

REFERENCES

The following references, to the extent that they provide exemplaryprocedural or other details supplementary to those set forth herein, arespecifically incorporated herein by reference:

-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,463,175-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,365-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,563,055-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,633,435-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,689,052-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,275-   U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,619-   U.S. Pat. No. 6,806,399-   WO 99/31248-   An et al., Plant Physiol., 88:547, 1988.-   Bird et al., Biotech. Gen. Engin. Rev., 9:207, 1991.-   Bustos et al., Plant Cell, 1:839, 1989.-   Callis et al., Plant Physiol., 88:965, 1988.-   Choi et al., Plant Cell Rep., 13: 344-348, 1994.-   Dekeyser et al., Plant Cell, 2:591, 1990.-   Ellul et al., Theor. Appl. Genet., 107:462-469, 2003.-   EP 534 858-   Fraley et al., Bio/Technology, 3:629-635, 1985.-   Fromm etal., Nature, 312:791-793, 1986.-   Fromm et al., Plant Cell, 1:977, 1989.-   Gibson and Shillito, Mol. Biotech., 7:125,1997-   Gull et al., J. Amer. Soc. Hort. Sci. 114:950-954, 1989.-   Kader et al., Hort. Sci., 13:577-578, 1978.-   Klee et al., Bio-Technology, 3(7):637-642, 1985.-   Kopecky et al., Crop Science, 45:274-281, 2005.-   Kuhlemeier et al., Plant Cell, 1:471, 1989.-   Linstrom, Genetics, 26:387-397, 1940.-   Marcotte et al., Nature, 335:454, 1988.-   Marcotte et al., Plant Cell, 1:969, 1989.-   Odeletal., Nature, 313:810, 1985.-   Omirulleh et al., Plant Mol. Biol., 21(3):415-428, 1993.-   Potrykus et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 199:183-188, 1985.-   Roshal et al., EMBO J., 6:1155, 1987.-   Schaffner and Sheen, Plant Cell, 3:997, 1991.-   Schemthaner et al., EMBO J., 7:1249, 1988.-   Siebertz et al., Plant Cell, 1:961, 1989.-   Simpson et al., EMBO J., 4:2723, 1985.-   Terada and Shimamoto, Mol. Gen. Genet., 220:389, 1990.-   Uchimiya et al., Mol. Gen. Genet., 204:204, 1986.-   Wang etal., Science, 280:1077-1082, 1998.-   Williams etal., Nucleic Acids Res., 18:6531-6535, 1990.

1. A seed of tomato line FIR 128-1018, a sample of seed of said linehaving been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8595.
 2. A plantgrown from the seed of claim
 1. 3. A plant part of the plant of claim 2.4. The plant part of claim 3, wherein said part is selected from thegroup consisting of a fruit, a rootstock, a scion, a cell, an ovule andpollen.
 5. A tomato plant, or a part thereof, having all thephysiological and morphological characteristics of the tomato plant ofclaim
 2. 6. A tissue culture of regenerable cells of tomato line FIR128-1018, a sample of seed of said line having been deposited under ATCCAccession Number PTA-8595.
 7. The tissue culture according to claim 6,comprising cells or protoplasts from a plant part selected from thegroup consisting of embryos, meristems, cotyledons, pollen, leaves,anthers, roots, root tips, pistil, flower, seed and stalks.
 8. A tomatoplant regenerated from the tissue culture of claim 6, wherein theregenerated plant expresses all of the physiological and morphologicalcharacteristics of tomato line FIR 128-1018, a sample of seed of saidline having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8595.
 9. Amethod of producing tomato seed, comprising crossing the plant of claim2 with itself or a second tomato plant.
 10. An F1 hybrid seed producedby the method of claim
 9. 11. An F1 hybrid plant produced by growing theseed of claim
 10. 12. A method for producing a seed of a line FIR128-1018-derived tomato plant comprising the steps of: (a) crossing atomato plant of line FIR 128-1018, a sample of seed of said line havingbeen deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8595, with a secondtomato plant; and (b) allowing seed of a FIR 128-1018-derived tomatoplant to form.
 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising the stepsof: (c) selfing the plant grown from said FIR 128-1018-derived tomatoseed or crossing it to a second tomato plant to yield additional FIR128-1018-derived tomato seed; (d) growing said additional FIR128-1018-derived tomato seed of step (c) to yield additional FIR128-1018-derived tomato plants; and (e) repeating the steps of (c) and(d) to generate further FIR 128-1018-derived tomato plants.
 14. A methodof vegetatively propagating a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018comprising the steps of: (a) collecting tissue capable of beingpropagated from a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018, a sample of seed ofsaid line having been deposited under ATCC Accession Number PTA-8595;(b) cultivating said tissue to obtain proliferated shoots; and (c)rooting said proliferated shoots to obtain rooted plantlets.
 15. Themethod of claim 14, further comprising growing plants from said rootedplantlets.
 16. A method of introducing a desired trait into tomato lineFIR 128-1018 comprising: (a) crossing a plant of line FIR 128-1018, asample of seed of said line having been deposited under ATCC AccessionNumber PTA-8595, with a second tomato plant that comprises a desiredtrait to produce F1 progeny; (b) selecting an F1 progeny that comprisesthe desired trait; (c) crossing the selected F1 progeny with a plant ofline FIR 128-1018 to produce backcross progeny; (d) selecting backcrossprogeny comprising the desired trait and the physiological andmorphological characteristic of tomato line FIR 128-1018; and (e)repeating steps (c) and (d) three or more times in succession to produceselected fourth or higher backcross progeny that comprise the desiredtrait.
 17. A tomato plant produced by the method of claim
 16. 18. Amethod of producing a plant of tomato line FIR 128-1018, a sample ofseed of said line having been deposited under ATCC Accession NumberPTA-8595, comprising an added desired trait, the method comprisingintroducing a transgene conferring the desired trait into a plant oftomato line FIR 128-1018.
 19. A plant of an inbred tomato line thatexhibits a combination of traits comprising firm, light yellow coloredfruit at maturity, a macro calyx, and a transparent epidermis, whereinthe combination of traits is controlled by genetic means for theexpression of such combination of traits found in tomato line FIR128-1018, a sample of seed of said line having been deposited under ATCCAccession Number PTA-8595.
 20. A seed of the plant of claim
 19. 21. Amethod of determining the genotype of the plant of claim 2 or a firstgeneration progeny thereof, comprising obtaining a sample of nucleicacids from said plant and detecting in said nucleic acids a plurality ofpolymorphisms.
 22. The method of claim 21, further comprising the stepof storing the results of detecting the plurality of polymorphisms on acomputer readable medium.
 23. A computer readable medium produced by themethod of claim
 22. 24. A method of producing tomatoes comprising: (a)obtaining the plant of claim 2, wherein the plant has been cultivated tomaturity; and (b) collecting tomatoes from the plant.